Tom Brennan: A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE

Tom Brennan: A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE

Michael (MC Hammer) Conforto was a big question mark after his shoulder tear late in 2017 required surgery - how soon would he be ready to return?  April?  May? June? July?

Roster decisions were made due to that uncertainty, including re-signing Jay Bruce and his big bat.

Now, Conforto will return in early April, having been pounding the baseball ruthlessly in late March spring at bats.

And now, Brandon Nimmo, who showed nice (and to many, unexpected) progress in 2017 when recalled to Queens, had a big spring, followed by getting on base 4 times on opening day.  A nice exclamation point.

To have him, and a (as for now) 5th OF in Juan Lagares (a/k/a "Mr. 5 for 9, .556" in his first two games), to back up a trio of Jay Bruce, Yoenis Cespedes and Conforto, is frankly amazing - any of the 5 would have been welcome STARTERS at this time in 2015. 

The starting outfield trio, in my opinion, could be the best trio in Mets history. 

So with these 5, figuring out playing time looks like it will be:

A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE.

In the infield, there was enough real doubt, after Dominic Smith's 2017 sputtering debut as to his readiness to be a starter on a team with playoff aspirations, that they went out and got veteran Adrian Gonzalez for first base, if healthy.  Game 1, he gets on 4 times too. "Copycat," said Nimmo.

A-Gon will no doubt (in my mind) platoon with Wilmer Flores against lefties, to get Flores' dangerous lefty-killer bat in the line up, but the new manager will be scratching his head as to how to get Wilmer enough at bats. 

And not just him - Jose Reyes will (assuming he stays with the team) get drastically less plate appearances than last year's very (too) high 561. 

The starting infield of Todd Frazier, Amed Rosario, Asdrubel Cabrera, and Adrian Gonzalez looks solid - but if it falters, available options are Flores, Reyes, Bruce, even Phillip Evans, & eventually Dominic Smith and TJ Rivera. 

Having that many viable major league caliber (or soon to be major league caliber) infielders is a NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE - Mets fans can think back to days where Ruben Tejada was grossly overused due to a lack of quality alternatives, and Colin Cowgill types showed up way too darned much.  I like these current fellas much better.

Having Kevin (the Krusher) Plawecki and Travis (TNT) d'Arnaud as a catching tandem - I think both will hit well in 2018 - getting enough time for both? 

A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE.

Pitching-wise, Thor and Jake (you know their last names) look simply superb, Harvey and Matz (you know their first names) appear poised for solid comebacks, Seth Lugo has pitched well and is a legit # 5 - until Jason Vargas returns (soon) - then there are 6 viable starters?  

Need a 7th or an 8th starter?  Feeling greedy - or needy?  

First Game 3K Rob Gsellman, and Wheeler, immediately come to mind.

Not to mention the tested Chris Flexen and Corey Oswalt.

The pen looks very solid with Familia, (now-aching) Swarzak, Blevins, Ramos, and Sewald, and other decent arms - but it will get better when Lugo goes to the pen and when Wheeler gets his act together in AAA and perhaps returns as a pen fireballer to the Mets.  

Heck, the recalled (if ever-so-briefly) Hansel Robles could even reawaken, but according to his friend Gretel, he clearly has work to do, as does Wheeler. 

And there are solid pen type arms ready for call up like the lucky lefty leprechaun PJ Conlon, who was great this spring.   Soon enough, perhaps Tyler Bashlor.

No need for any Tommy Milone bombs-away types to apply for pitching auditions in 2018 - because:

There are lots of good pitchers on the Mets and in the wings -  which someone might call:

A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE.

Things are looking awfully NICE to me.

And that is not a PROBLEM. It's a pleasure.

(This just in: Al Gore promised no more snow)